Process fob reclaiming rubber



J. 0. NAVONE.

PROCESS FOR RECLAIMING RUBBER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24. 1920.

1,424,668. Patented Aug, 1, 1922.

is Q g "mum E ||||l| Hill I W M 53 JoiznOJVavonZ. Q 'IIHII'IMI HIM!!! E w. i & I] Gi s hail? Chrome UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN O. NAVONE, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

r PROCESS FOR RECLAIMING RUBBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Aug. 1, 1922.

Application filed January 24, 1920. Serial No. 353,847.

'T 0 all whom it may concern Be 1t known that 1, JOHN 0. NAVONE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county ofAlameda and 'State of California, have invented certain in the drawingby the same reference characters as'those designating corresponding parts in this specification: My apparatus includes an agitator 1, astorage tank 2 for a hydro-carbon, such as benzol, a settling tank 3 for'flrubber solution, a rubber'solidifier 4, a condenser 5, a pump 6 anda pump 7.

1 The agitator 1 includes a closed drum 8 mounted on trunnions 9 and 10 'journaled in bearings 11 and 12 on the top of standards '13 and'14. On'the outer end of trunnion 11 is secured a gear 1 5 in mesh with a pinion 16secured-onone end 'of a shaft 17 motor '21;

journaled in a bearing 18. On the other end of shaft 17 is secured a gear 19 in mesh with a pinion 20 secured on the shaft of'a A steam pipe 22 extends through the trunnion 10,which is hollow and through a'packing gland 23 in the outer end of said trunnion and connects to a steam heatingpipe 24 within the drum 8, said pipe 24 eX-.

; tending diametrically of the drum near the I 22 is connected to and turns in a oint 25 at itsouter end, to which joint is connected a right end wall thereof and at right angles" "at its ends adjacent the side wall and'near' the other end wall of the drum. The pipe steam supply pipe '26 and a steam condenser pipe 27. A perforated pipe 28' extends through "the sidewall of the drum, into'the drum, diametrically thereof, adjacent its right end wall, the inner end of said pipe being bent at right angles within the adjacent angular endof pipe 29. A hand hole 30 is provided in the side wall of the drum, which hole is closed by a suitable cover 30.

connected to the pump 6. nected at one end to said pump and at its other end to the tank 3 near the bottom thereof. A two-way valve 38 is interposed A drain pipe 81leads from one end of. pipe 24 through the side wall of the drum 8 and a drain cock 82 is' connected on the outer end of said drain pipe. On the outer end of pipe 28 isconnected a valve 33 to which is connected an elbow 34. Said elbow is del tachably connected to one end of a pipe 35 by a unlon, the'other end of which pipe-is A- pipe 37 is con between the ends of pipe 37 to which valve 1s connected one end of a pipe 39, the other end of which is connectedcto storage tank .2. A pipe 40 extending upwardly into the .bottom' of tank 3 connects to the pump 7. A pipe 41 leads from the pump 7 into the solidifier 4.

The solidifier 4 I comprises a closed receptacle 45 enlarged at the bottom and top, Said enlargements forming respectively a sump side wall of the sump at the bottom thereof.

A hand hole 52 is provided in the top wall of 'the solidifier. A drain cock 53 leads from the bottom wall of the solidifier.

A pipe 60 leads from the top of the storage tank 2 into the condenser 5 at the bottom thereof. A pipe 61 leads from the top of" the settling tank 3 into the bottom of thecondenser 5. A two-way" valve 62 is'interposed between the ends of the pipe'61. A pipe 63 leads from the top of the solidifier into the valve 62. Y

A two-way valve 70 is interposed in the pipe 35 to which is connected a pipe 71 leading into the settling tank 3. A drain cock 72 is connected to'the bottom of the tank 3.

My process is practiced as follows: Abouttwenty pounds of worn automobile tires, or'other rubber products, are placed in the drum 8 through the hand hole 30 and thehand hole closed by the cover 30. The

valve 38 is turned into position establishing sections of pipe 35. About six gallons of benzol is pumped by pump 6 from the storage tank 2 through pipes 39, 37, 35 and into the drum 8. The rubber products are allowed to soak in the benzol in the drum from twelve to fourteen hours. The valve 33 is closed and the pipes 28 and 35 disconnected by means of the union 36. The heat of the steam pipe 24 vaporizes a portion of the benzol and dissolves the rubber in the remaining liquid benzol. The drum 8 is then rotated for about two hours by means of the motor 21 through the medium of pinion 20, gear 19, shaft 1.7, pinion 16, gear 15 and trunnion 9, whereby the rubber is thoroughly broken up and mixed throughout the liquid benzol. The pipe 28 is then connected by union 36 to pipe 35. The valve 70 is turned into its position where communication between pipe 35 and pump 6 is shut off and communication from the pipe 35 through pipe 71 to the settling tank 3 is established. The-valve 33 is then opened and the action of the vaporized benzol in the drum 8 forces the liquid rubber and benzol mixture in the drum out through pipes 28, 35 and 71 into the storage tank 3. The valve 62 is turned so that communication is established between tank 3 and condenser 5 to enable any vaporized benzol to escape through pipe 61 into the condenser. The valve 7 O is then turned so that communication between pipe 35 and pipe 71 is shut off and communication between the two sections of pipe 35 is established. About three gallons of benzol is then pumped out of storage tank 2 through pipes 39, 37 35 and 28 into the drum 8. The pipes 28 and 35 are again disconnected and the drum 8 is rotated about two hours. The pipes 28 and 35 are then connected and valve 70 turned to establish communication between pipes 35 and 71. The liquid rubber and benzol mixture in the drum is then forced by the action of the henzol vapor out through pipes 28, 35 and 71 into the tank 3. The mixture is then pumped by pump 7 out of the tank 3 through pipes 40 and 41 into the solidifier 4 which is filled with water up to the level 75, which is heated by the steam in jacket 48. The valve 62 being turned so that communication is shut off from tank 3 through said valve and communication is established between pipes 63 and 61 to the condenser 5, the liquid benzol in the solidifier vaporizes and passes out through pipes 63 and 61 into the condenser 5, while the rubber is precipitated in chunks in the sump l6. The water is then drained out of the solidifier through the drain valve 53 and the precipitated rubber removed from the solidifier through the,

hand hole 51. The valve 70 is again turned to shut off communication between pipes 35 and 71 and to establish communication be-v nectcd and valve 33 closed.

tween the two sections of the pipe 35. About three gallons of benzol is pumped out of the tank 2 into the drum 8. The pipes 28 and 35 are disconnected and the drum 8 rotated again about two hours. The pipes 28 and are again connected and the valve 70 turned to shut off communication between the two sections of the pipe 35 and pipe 71. The remaining liquid mixture of benzol and rubber passes from drum 8 into. settling tank 3. Pipes 35 and 28 are then discon- Water is then introduced through hand hole 30 into the drum 8, and the drum rotated for about one half hour. The pipes 28 and 35 are again connected and the valve 33 opened, whereupon the vaporized benzol, washed out of the fabric orother remaining non-rubber products in the drum, passes out of the drum through pipes 28, 35 and 71 into the tank 3. The valve 62 being turned to shut off communication between pipes 63 and 61 and to establish communication through pipe 61 from said tank to the condenser 5, the vaporized benzol in the tank 3 passes therefrom through pipe 61 into the condenser. The water and the fabric or other remaining non-rubber products are then removed from the drum 8 through the hand hole 30. .The-

condensed benzol in the condenser flows out through pipe 60 back into the storage tank 2 from which it is again withdrawn to repeat the process, thus using the same benzol for continuous practice of the process. The liquid mixture of benzol and rubber last pumped into the tank 3 remains therein until the process is repeated, and while in the tank any lint in the mixture settles to the bottom thereof.

Upon repeating the process the valve 70 is turned so that communication between the two sections of pipe 35 is established and communication between pipe 35 and 71 is shut off, the valve 38 is turned so that communication between pipes 37 and 39 is shut off and communication between pump 6v and thetank 3 is established. The three gallons of benzol in tank 3 is pumped into the drum 8. Thevalve 38 is then. turned so that communication between the pump 6 and tank 3 is shut off and ccmmunicationbetween pipes 37 and 39 is established. Three gallons of benzol is then pumped from the storage tank 2 into the drum 8, making six gallons of benzol with which the process is begun. The lint which has settled in thetank 3 maybe drained out through the cock 72.

By my process I recover more rubber than can be recovered by other. processes and. I

recover the fabric or other products between automobile tires I do not have to grind the tires or to cut the beads off them. This re duces the cost of the process considerably.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The process as disclosed which consists in dissolving the rubber from rubber products in a hydro-carbon, and then evaporatin the hydro-carbon and precipitating the ru her in heated water.

2. The process which consists in dissolving the rubber from'rubber products in a hydrocarbon, removing the rubber from said hydr0-carbon, and evaporating the hydro-carbon in water from the remaining non-rubber products, and recovering the said remaining products.

3. The process which consists in dissolving the rubber in rubber products in a heated hydro-carbon, utilizing the action of the vaporized hydro-carbon to discharge the liquid mixture of hydro-carbon and rubber, and then separating the rubber from the hydrocarbon.

l. The process which consists in dissolving the rubber in rubber products in a heated hydro-carbon, utilizing the action of the vaporized hydro-carbon to discharge the liquid mixture of hydro-carbon and rubber, and then separating the rubber from the hydro-carbon, removing the hydrocarbon from the remaining non-rubber products, and recovering said non-rubber products.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN O. NAVONE. 

